Ballard and Steichen are safe

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc

Not sure how I feel about this. I can see both sides of the argument.

Same. It's probably the best for next year, but not so sure long term. As I said in another post if inherit a business that's been in the red for 5 straight years and 7 of the last 9 then it's probably time to move on from your COO.

Also, I'm pretty disappointed that we lost to HOU after they put in most of their backups in the 2nd half. Especially disappointed w/ how our OL performed against their backup DL.

[YDFL Commish]

I know that nobody wants to hear this. But both Ballard and Steichen are being graded on this season, and this season only.

The sins of the father were not taken into account.

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

I know that nobody wants to hear this. But both Ballard and Steichen are being graded on this season, and this season only.

The sins of the father were not taken into account.

If this is true we have a moron for an owner and are fucked until well after I am pushing up tulips. Let's look at this year. Injuries supposedly destroyed us. Why? Lack of back up talent in all positions except offensive line. Why on earth would that be an issue with this team? Just look at the last 5 years of drafting. That is where back ups come from. And Ballard drafted every one of them. So the gamble going forward is the first 8 games are actually who we are and we will be mostly injury free n 2026. Worst collapse in NFL history and we bring everyone back. Responsibility lies with bad luck I guess.

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

If this is true we have a moron for an owner and are fucked until well after I am pushing up tulips. Let's look at this year. Injuries supposedly destroyed us. Why? Lack of back up talent in all positions except offensive line. Why on earth would that be an issue with this team? Just look at the last 5 years of drafting. That is where back ups come from. And Ballard drafted every one of them. So the gamble going forward is the first 8 games are actually who we are and we will be mostly injury free n 2026. Worst collapse in NFL history and we bring everyone back. Responsibility lies with bad luck I guess.

Okay, name a team that’s deep enough to excel at Corner when the first 3 guys on the depth chart go down?
How many survive intact when they lose their best D’Lineman?
Have you checked out the Chief’s Offense since Mahomes and Minshew bit the dust?
How many survive the loss of a starting bookend Tackle without missing a beat? What happens when both first string Tackles go down and they have to cobble together a line out of spit and baling wire?

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by Kray007

Okay, name a team that’s deep enough to excel at Corner when the first 3 guys on the depth chart go down?
How many survive intact when they lose their best D’Lineman?
Have you checked out the Chief’s Offense since Mahomes and Minshew bit the dust?
How many survive the loss of a starting bookend Tackle without missing a beat? What happens when both first string Tackles go down and they have to cobble together a line out of spit and baling wire?

Again the best thing you can say is 'he had injuries to deal with'. Unlike other teams. Nobody ever lists all the fabulous players Ballard has drafted, the depth he has given this team or the incredible culture of winning he has developed. Nope. His best (and apparently only) defense is injuries.

If you are looking for a team that was injured but still survived and did well look no further than the 49ers. Lost Aiyuk for the season, Trent Williams (all pro tackle), Ricky Pearsall, linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Tatum Bethune (groin) , with Fred Warner (ankle) and Nick Bosa (knee) already out for the season and to top it off Brock Purdy missed 6 games with a toe (While our boy Jones missed 4) . They finished 12-5 without excuses.Imagine that.

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Again the best thing you can say is 'he had injuries to deal with'. Unlike other teams. Nobody ever lists all the fabulous players Ballard has drafted, the depth he has given this team or the incredible culture of winning he has developed. Nope. His best (and apparently only) defense is injuries.

If you are looking for a team that was injured but still survived and did well look no further than the 49ers. Lost Aiyuk for the season, Trent Williams (all pro tackle), Ricky Pearsall, linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Tatum Bethune (groin) , with Fred Warner (ankle) and Nick Bosa (knee) already out for the season and to top it off Brock Purdy missed 6 games with a toe (While our boy Jones missed 4) . They finished 12-5 without excuses.Imagine that.

I have played this card a few different times, yet to see any good counters to the play either. It's as if some don't accept the premise that it is his JOB to make sure we are good enough when adversity hits. Instead to some he is only gauged on how good he is when EVERY condition is primed for success. He isn't paid whatever millions of dollars to be successful when the temperature is 74, it is a cloudless day, humidity is 3% and the bar tender is 24 with a beautiful smile and an endless bottle of tequila. His JOB is to build something that can manufacture success when it is -12, the wind is blowing 60 miles and hour, there are predictions of a biblical avalanche and the only liquor left is a 1/4 full pint of McCormicks vodka.

I just don't get it, I really don't. By any meaningful assessment his tenure here has been a massive fucking failure yet some are applauding bringing him back. Me, yeah I don't expect we will suddenly have 74, sun, low humidity and a bombshell bar tender next year (which is apparently the belief among his supporters), that's a very rare thing in the NFL where the only certainty is if you play long enough, you won't play.

[Puck]

https://x.com/Colts_Law/status/2008199361075757070?s=20

Lawrence Owen
@Colts_Law
The teams the 49ers beat without their starting QB:
Saints
Rams (OT)
Cards
Falcons
Giants

They lost to almost every winning teams they faced during that span.

Quit giving me the #49ers as an excuse of why Ballard should have been fired.

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Again the best thing you can say is 'he had injuries to deal with'. Unlike other teams. Nobody ever lists all the fabulous players Ballard has drafted, the depth he has given this team or the incredible culture of winning he has developed. Nope. His best (and apparently only) defense is injuries.

If you are looking for a team that was injured but still survived and did well look no further than the 49ers. Lost Aiyuk for the season, Trent Williams (all pro tackle), Ricky Pearsall, linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Tatum Bethune (groin) , with Fred Warner (ankle) and Nick Bosa (knee) already out for the season and to top it off Brock Purdy missed 6 games with a toe (While our boy Jones missed 4) . They finished 12-5 without excuses.Imagine that.

If Brock Purdy’s replacement had been a practice squad refugee, they wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs. If the Colts hadn’t finished vs 6 straight 11 win teams, they might have.

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by Kray007

If Brock Purdy’s replacement had been a practice squad refugee, they wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs. If the Colts hadn’t finished vs 6 straight 11 win teams, they might have.

Damn I wonder who is responsible for that?

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Again the best thing you can say is 'he had injuries to deal with'. Unlike other teams. Nobody ever lists all the fabulous players Ballard has drafted, the depth he has given this team or the incredible culture of winning he has developed. Nope. His best (and apparently only) defense is injuries.

If you are looking for a team that was injured but still survived and did well look no further than the 49ers. Lost Aiyuk for the season, Trent Williams (all pro tackle), Ricky Pearsall, linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Tatum Bethune (groin) , with Fred Warner (ankle) and Nick Bosa (knee) already out for the season and to top it off Brock Purdy missed 6 games with a toe (While our boy Jones missed 4) . They finished 12-5 without excuses.Imagine that.

You keep saying San Francisco, San Francisco, San Francisco, and I say Kansas City, whose offense withered and died without Mahomes and Minshew. I say the Bengals who managed 1 win without Burrow. I say the Ravens who managed 13 points in their first 2 games without Lamar Jackson. I say Minnesota who, without JJ McCarthy managed 2 wins…1 against a wretched Browns team and one vs a Joe Burrow’less Bengals.

If Jones had never broken his leg, if he’d never gone down for the season, the Colts would have been a lot more competitive. Given they lost 5 of their last 7 games by a cumulative 16 points, it’s not unreasonable to imagine that they might have finished with 13 wins…even with all the injuries at other spots.